The Job of a Lifetime: My Sodor Adventure
by CN7470
Summary: Railroads have always been an interest of mine. It is because of this that I started volunteering at my local tourist railroad. Everything was normal until I was somehow transported to the world of Thomas the Tank Engine. Read on as I adjust to living on the Island of Sodor and ended up working for the famous North Western Railway. This is my first ever fanfiction, Please review!
1. Chapter 1

Title: **The Job of a Lifetime: My Sodor Adventure**

Description: Railroads have always been an interest of mine. It is because of this that I started volunteering at my local tourist railroad. Everything was normal until I was somehow transported to the world of Thomas the Tank Engine. Read on as I adjust to living on the Island of Sodor and ended up working for the famous North Western Railway!

This is my first ever fanfiction story and I really hope you like it!

Chapter 1

_Nevada Northern Railway, Ely, Nevada_

Cullen walked beside the coaling tower after working in the repair building most of the day. The sight of the old structure was impressive and even though it wasn't in working condition, looked ready for the next tender to fill. Ever since he was very little, he had an interest in trains and always wanted to work for the railroad. He finally achieved that when he became a student brakeman for the Nevada Northern Railway, a tourist railroad in Ely, Nevada. Sure he wasn't getting paid to do the work, but he enjoyed every bit of it. He was willing to do anything to play a part in railroad preservation. For example, he sandblasted an entire tank car for four days straight just because he wanted too. He was looking over one of the old ore cars when he heard the whistle from #40 in the distance. He smiled when he heard the echo, it always sent shivers down his spine. Soon enough the Baldwin 4-6-0 pulled its four car train into the yard with the last excursion of the day. The passengers disembarked from the train, some deciding to look at the locomotive up close. Cullen went over to greet the crew. "How was the trip Antony?" He asked the fireman.

"Everything went well" He replied as he brushed coal dust off his overalls. "At least we weren't running #93 today, or else I would be working my ass off to shovel coal on the hill".

The engineer, John, looked over and smirked. "You sure? I don't think you work hard enough if you can't pull that off with ease".

They all laughed and set to work on bringing #40 to the engine house. The engine slowly maneuvered through the yard and Cullen set all the switches. #40 soon enough had its fire dropped and was tucked away for the night. Cullen looked over the locomotive with admiration as it sat in the dimly lit building among the other engines. Engine #40 was built in 1910 for passenger service over a hundred years ago and here it was in all her glory. Looking at her driving wheels, you can easily imagine her moving at speed. Not only was she in her original shed, she was still working on her original railroad. Not many surviving steam locomotives have that claim. Cullen took a final look around the engine house before locking up for the night. He then looked at his watch.

"_7:00pm, I should probably go and have my dinner". _He made his way through the yard to the bunkhouse, which used to house the workers on the railroad back in the day and now is used for guests. Because he was from New Hampshire, he was allowed a room in the building to stay in. After eating some leftovers, He walked into his room to change into normal clothes. Inside his room he had some of his railroad lanterns and memorabilia that he had brought from home. On the desk was a book that Cullen has owned since he was a kid. It was titled "Thomas the Tank Engine: The Complete Collection". Cullen looked at the cover, remembering how it was because of the Rev. W. Awdry that he got interested into trains in the first place. He had brought the book along because it had a special place in his heart and was one of his personal favorite books.

"_ I bet Sodor would be amazing to visit_" he thought to himself. He knew it would never happen, but loved the idea of it. Cullen then put a sweatshirt on and decided to go for a walk around the abandoned part of the yard.

To him, it was always interesting to look around the area, especially because he was so used to the trees and grass of New England. I. The sights of the desert was still all new to Cullen and it fascinated him. The area was surrounded by mountains and the valley he was in seemed to have carved its way through them. It gets chilly in this part of Nevada in the evening, especially when your 6,437 feet above sea level. On several tracks stood lines of old ore cars, the ones that the Nevada Northern used to haul copper ore back in the early 20th century. These cars were in sad shape and Cullen could only hope that they would one day be restored to their original condition. They were all rusty, and some even had holes in the sides of them. It was a sad sight, but eventually these would get fixed up. While walking beside the abandoned ore cars, something in the ballast caught his attention. When he fixed his gaze on the object, his eyes widened.

"_What the... What's this?"_ Cullen thought as he came upon a blue crystal. Its blue color stood out among the grey ballast. It was so out of place here that it could be noticed from a distance. He looked around to see if anybody was there that might have left it behind. After finding nobody, he picked the crystal up and examined it. Looking at it closely, it was small and didn't seem to be worth that much if he tried to sell it at a pawn shop. Though something about it intrigued Cullen and he couldn't explain why. The crystal felt cold in his hands, which was weird because it was 60 degrees out. Cullen took the crystal and tried to warm it up by rubbing his hand on it. Suddenly, the crystal started to glow! Cullen dropped it in fright and it fell to his feet.

"What the hell?!" The crystal shattered, and to his amazement/fear opened up a portal. There then was a sudden burst of strong wind that seemed to be pushing Cullen into the portal. He tried to run away but he couldn't. The winds got stronger and stronger and soon enough he was literally lifted off his feet.

"AHHHHHHHH!" Cullen yelled as he was sucked into the portal and the unknown.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey Guys, sorry for the wait. Personally I almost lost interest in continuing because nobody was reviewing. I would like to thank PrincessofDreams123 for the nice review and giving me the drive I need to continue the story. I thrive for your reviews, it keeps me writing! Now on to the story._

Chapter Two

In a small forested area, some deer were drinking from a pond when a small blue portal opened up nearby. Started, they deer ran away to a different part of the forest as Cullen, still screaming, landed in the pond in a big splash. Soaked, he climbed out of the pond onto dry land in a state of utter confusion.

"_Uhg...where am I_?" He paused and looked around at the surrounding area. He saw birds up in the trees chirping happily, attending a nest high above him. The leaves were a rich green that almost seemed perfect. It felt as if he were back in New Hampshire again. "_Wherever this is, I am nowhere near Nevada"_ he thought. He pulled out his wet smartphone and realized that it stopped working due to the water. "_Damn it! Oh well, It won't help me out anyways"_. He threw it out into the pond as far as he could, making a big splash in the center. "_I need to find out where I am"_. Cullen scanned the area and decided to head out of the forest. As he walked along an open grassy area, he processed the situation at hand. How was this possible? One second we was in Nevada, the next he is in a random forest in who-knows-where. As he thought about it, how would he be able to return? The crystal had shattered before the portal had formed, so it was impossible to use it. Cullen made his way through the forest, feeling as lost as ever. "_I wonder if I was sent to another dimension"_ he thought. "_If so, I really hope I wasn't sent to a place where animals randomly break into song"_ he shivered at the thought, knowing he wouldn't last 10 seconds if he found himself in such a situation. It was then that Cullen thought he was hearing the faint sound of a steam locomotive.

"_I must be hearing things..." _The sound then became louder, the stack talk was becoming more recognizable. Upon realizing that he was not going crazy and it was real, he started to run to the source of the sound. While running, he heard the sound of the locomotive's stack talk become slower and slower. "_Must be stopping for something"_ Cullen thought as he was got closer. He peered through a bust and there in front of him was a blue tender engine with a small goods train. His jaw dropped when he recognized the engine. It was a 4-4-0 and seemed to be of early design. On the tender were the initials N. W. R. and underneath that a #2. The engine had stopped at a water column and the fireman was on the tender watching the water level as the driver stood beside the engine. They were having a conversation with one another but Cullen was too far away to hear the words they were saying. The shape looked familiar but it took a second for it to finally hit him. "_Wait a minute, is that…Edward? That means..." _Cullen realized as he scanned the area, but before he could come to his conclusion his thoughts were interrupted by a voice.

"Excuse me lad, are you lost?"

Cullen turned and noticed the driver. He appeared to be in his late 20s and sported a blue uniform that was covered in soot. He had brown hair that was a mess and sported a mustache. He looked concerned and at first, Cullen didn't know what to say. After several seconds of staring, Cullen finally replied, "I have no idea. My name's Cullen, who are you?"

"My name is Charlie Sand, and this is my fireman Sidney Hever". Charlie looked to be 30 years of age and had the same uniform as Sidney. He had black hair and was several inches shorter than Charlie. Sidney climbed down and Cullen formally exchanged handshakes with them.

"And this..." Sidney said as he lead Cullen to the front of the locomotive "…Is our engine, Edward". There looking down at him, was Edward. "Hello! Nice to meet you". Cullen paused for a moment before responding "Hello..Nice to meet you too" Cullen replied. The sight of a talking steam locomotive was very weird and it made Cullen feel awkward. "Sorry, I'm not used to talking engines. Where I'm from, locomotives don't talk." Edward seemed surprised. "Really? Where are you from?" Cullen contemplated on wherever or not to tell them, and decided to wait. "Believe me, that's a long story" he responded. At that point the water started to overflow on top of the tender. Realizing this, Sidney stopped the flow of the water and turned the column away. "So where's the nearest town?" Cullen asked. "I'm... New to the area and I'm lost."

"There's one not far from here" replied Sidney. "Its three miles east through the forest, but I'm pretty sure…" He was cut short by Charlie. "How about you ride with us to Tidmouth?" chimed in Charlie. "I'm sure Edward wouldn't mind another person on the footplate, would you Edward?"

"Not at all Sir" Edward replied. "How about it?" He asked Cullen.

Cullen was speechless for a moment, here he was being presented the opportunity to ride in the cab of Edward, something that he never thought possible. How could he pass up such an opportunity?

"Really? That would be great!" He replied excitedly. "Splendid! Now just to warn you, you will get quite dirty from the soot" Sidney informed Cullen. He chuckled before he replied. "I don't mind, I have ridden on the footplate of steam locomotives before and I really enjoy it." They climbed into Edwards cab and the two railway men got into their respective spots in the cab. After Sidney checked the water level and feeding two shovelfuls of coal into the firebox, Charlie sounded off Edwards whistle and opened the regulator. Soon enough they were moving, on the way to Tidmouth.

Along the way, Cullen watched with amazement as he saw the scenery of Sodor. It was truly beautiful here, with the small towns that he saw while passing through stations to the breathtaking views of the countryside. He had never seen a place that looked so… perfect. "Pinch me, I must be dreaming" He said to himself. Suddenly he felt a pinch in his arm. He looked to see Sidney grinning. "You asked for it, I couldn't resist". They laughed together for a minute before Sidney paused and grabbed his shovel. "Hey Cullen, how would you like to feed Edwards fire?" He asked. Cullen smiled from ear to ear. "I would be honored". He had done this once before back at the Nevada Northern but it was only for a little bit and the engine was going slow. Here he was traveling at a faster speed and the swaying of Edward and his tender was more noticeable. Cullen opened the firebox door and started shoveling coal into the fire. One thing that he remembered from his experience at the Nevada Northern was that he had to get the coal to the back of the firebox. He made a wall of coal with a pit in the center of the firebox and was careful not to drop any coal onto the footplate. Sidney were impressed. Even Charles looked over and could see how well Cullen was doing. After shoveling 12 scoops of coal into the fire, Cullen was exhausted and gave the shovel back to Sidney.

"Well well well Cullen that was pretty good firing, and not a single lump of coal was missed!" Cullen gleamed. "It was nothing, honestly. I just pretty much copied what you did. I mean I have done it once before but that was only 3 shovels of coal. This was my first time really firing an engine." Cullen did have to admit, he was proud that he did so well. "That is impressive for a beginner" Charlie said. "Once we pull into Tidmouth, we should find the Fat Controller and discuss the possibility of employing you as fireman on the North Western".

Cullen was speechless. "I really was that good?" They both nodded. Cullen couldn't believe it. _"Me? Working on Sir Topham Hatt's railway? This just keeps getting better and better!_" He pictured himself in their blue uniform, working on the engines. The idea of it just made him excited. "I'd love to work for the railway, it's something I have dreamed of doing!" He leaned out the cab window. "Hey Edward, did you hear that? I'll be getting a job on the railway!"

"That's fantastic news Cullen!" Edward called back.

Cullen swore that this was the happiest moment of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey Guys, sorry for the wait. Doing college work is a higher priority so I was a bit slow to write this chapter. Anyways, Enjoy!_

Chapter 3

_30 minutes later_

To Cullen, it seemed like it took forever to get to Tidmouth. Besides knowing some places from the T.V. show and pictures from the book, he didn't know where they went through unless he saw a town name on a station. Cullen was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to get there until they came around across a signalbox which had a sign displaying the name "Tidmouth". On the left, Cullen saw a roundhouse with six stalls and a turntable. It was upon seeing it that he knew what it was.

"_Wow, Tidmouth Sheds looks bigger in person"_ he thought as they made their way through the many tracks and points. Charlie eased on the throttle as he entered the goods yard. There were trucks everywhere of many different variety's, from Tidmouth Milk cars to enclosed goods vans. It was almost too many for him to count. Edward pulled in on a clear siding and came to a stop. Sidney climbed out and uncoupled the trucks as the guard set the brakes on them and his brakevan.

After making sure that they were going nowhere and couldn't cause trouble, Edward left to get some more coal at the coal loader. While getting his tender filled with coal, Cullen heard a couple short toots of a familiar whistle from behind them.

"_That's James"_ he thought to himself, and he was right. Gleaming in his red paint and shiny dome, James pulled up beside Edward.

"Hello Edward, What did you haul today?"

"Trucks, and truth be told they behaved well today. I always treat them right anyways so I should expect such behavior" Edward said proudly.

James just rolled his eyes. "Trucks? You don't see such a splendid red engine like ME pulling the likes of them!" He paused, "Besides, I'm better at pulling coaches".

Not bothered by James's usual nonsense, Edward responded wisely.

"Now James, you are a mixed traffic engine as you should know, which means you were built to pull coaches _and_ trucks. If the Fat Controller says you are to pull trucks, you pull them without fuss".

James sneered. "Pah! Dirty Trucks from Dirty Sidings, I shall have none of that!" and he steamed off to collect his coaches for his evening train. Cullen chuckled as he climbed out of the cab. "Is he always like that?" He asked Edward. "Not all the time" He replied with a hint of annoyance. "He likes to think highly of himself and can be quite rude sometimes, but he does make up for it eventually". Cullen understood and nodded.

Cullen was lost in his thoughts until he noticed a blue car pulling into the yard. It made its way over to Edward and parked beside him. After the driver got out, he opened one of the rear doors to allow somebody out. Stepping out of the car was a man in a fancy suit wearing a top hat. Being a slightly large man, Cullen knew this was the one and only Sir Topham Hatt.

"Good evening Edward, Good evening Charlie and Sid, how was the run?"

"No problems at all Sir" said Sidney. "Trucks behaved well too. Edward didn't even have to bump them to keep them in order"

"Guess Oliver's incident with Scruffy yesterday had something to do with it" The Fat Controller said thoughtfully.

"You probably right about that" laughed Charlie. "Anyways, we came across a young fellow when we stopped to give Edward a drink. He is new to the area and was lost so we let him climb aboard and take him here. We let him stoke the fire and he did a pretty good job and he is interested in working for your railway"

Cullen was beside Edwards driving wheels when he heard them mention him. He was anxious and nervous on meeting the Fat Controller. He wasn't sure if he would employ him or not, and the thought of him turning him away was nerve racking. Even so, Cullen made his way over to the group of men.

"We could use another set of hands on the North Western. Where is he, if I may ask?"

"Don't worry, I'm right here" Cullen. The Fat Controller saw him and greeted him warmly.

"Ahh there you are. I am Sir Topham Hatt, owner of the North Western Railway. What's your name?" He asked as he reached his hand out for a handshake.

"_Don't say something stupid don't say something stupid don't say something stupid..."_

"Pleased to meet you sir, my name is Cullen" he replied as they shook hands.

"_So far so good" _Cullen thought. He never felt this nervous before for a job interview. It's not every day you are presented a chance to work the job of your dreams.

Before they could say anymore, Charlie spoke up. "Excuse me Mr. Hatt, but would you care for some tea? I have several teabags and some cups in the cab"

"That would be nice, care for some tea Cullen?" asked the Fat Controller

"No thanks, not much of a tea person" He responded, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Charlie climbed into Edward's cab and got some tea bags from a lunch box. He took some three cups out and put the tea bags in them. He filled each one with hot water from a valve. Charlie then returned to the others with three cups of fresh tea and handed a cup to Sidney and the Fat Controller. The Fat Controller took a sip. "That is some good tea" He said with delight. After drinking some more, He turned to Cullen.

"So Cullen, are you new to Sodor?"

"Yah, I just arrived today" He wasn't lying, he did just show up that day. The last thing he wanted to do was sound crazy by telling him he just came from a different dimension.

"Is that so? I'm guessing that you haven't explored the Island yet"

Cullen shook his head.

"Hmm, perhaps a tour of the Island is in order for tomorrow. But before I make my decision, I must ask why you would like to work for my railway?"

Now this would be easy to answer.

"Well, I have always been into trains all my life, and it has been a dream of mine to work on a railway. I have heard so much about your railway and it would be an honor to work on the North Western"

The Fat Controller thought deeply a moment.

"Sid told me that you did well stoking Edward's fire, how does the position of student fireman sound?"

"_Here we go, the moment we all have been waiting for" _Cullen thought excitedly.

"That sounds great sir, and I promise to work hard" He said as he held in his excitement.

"It's settled then. Tomorrow we will meet in my office and get the papers signed. Then we will get measurements so we can find a uniform that fits"

"Sir, does this mean..."

"It does, Welcome to the North Western Railway" said the Fat Controller with a friendly smile.

Edward whistled happily as Charlie and Sidney both congratulated him.

Cullen felt great. He got the job! Noticing that it was getting dark, he remembered something and turned to the Fat Controller. "Thank you very much sir, but I do have a question"

"And what's that?" he asked.

"Where can I spend the night?"


	4. Chapter 4

_My chapters are improving in Length and detail, I'm actually surprised. Anyways, Happy Reading!_

_Btw i was kind of qot lazy at the end, i'll probably edit that at a later time._

Chapter 4

_The Following Morning_

The Fat Controller had allowed Cullen to spend the night at a local Inn that was near the Sheds. The Inn keeper was a friend of his and the Inn usually housed railway men because of the close proximity to the sheds. Cullen had been told to report at the sheds at 7:30 and he made sure not to be late. He woke up at 7:00 and got ready for day. After making sure that he looked presentable, he left the Inn and walked over to Tidmouth Sheds.

As he was neared the building, he began to hear a conversation.

"Fire? I didn't hear about this, what happened?"

"Last evening, there was a fire in the sheds at Ffarquhar. I found out about it when I sat in Elsbridge waiting for passengers. The signalman came over and warned us about it. When I got there, the fire department had arrived. The firemen put out the flames but they declared that we spend the night elsewhere after deeming it not safe. Toby spent the night in the carriage shed with Daisy and Henrietta while Percy and I came here"

"Do you know what caused the fire?"

"A workman apparently threw a cigarette into the trash bin, which then started the blaze. It will be several days until we can go back there"

Cullen was now beside the shed wall. Through one of the windows on the closest track to him, he saw a green 0-4-0T saddle tank with the number 6 on its bunker. He made it near the turntable and when he turned to look at the engines, he stopped and took in the sight before him.

There, he saw Edward, Thomas, Gordon, Henry, James, and Percy all being prepared for the day. Cullen saw the crews getting their respective engine ready for work. It was at that moment the Fat Controller arrived. Cullen strolled over to where his car had come to a stop.

"Good morning sir" he said as the Fat Controller got out of the car.

"Good morning to you too Cullen. Did you just arrive?"

Cullen nodded. "Yes sir, just got here a minute ago"

"Excellent" He said. "Come with me, I'll introduce you to the engines"

They walked over to the turntable where Sir Topham Hatt's assistants had set up a stool for him to stand on. After clearing his throat to catch everyone's attention, he made his announcement.

"Good morning crews and engines, first of all, I would like you all to give a warm welcome to our newest member of the North Western Railway, Cullen." The engines greeted him with blasts of their whistles, they kept doing it until the Fat Controller motioned for them to stop.

"He here is new to the Island, and I hope you all make him feel welcome"

He then assigned each engine the job they would be doing for the day. Henry would take a slow goods train to Barrow-in-Furnace, Edward would take empty cattle trucks to Farmer McColl's, and James was to assist Duck on the 'Little Western' due to Oliver feeling ill. As Usual, Gordon would pull the "Wild Nor' Wester", and Thomas would pull Annie and Claribel on his branch line. Percy was last to receive his orders.

"Percy, I would like you to take some empty trucks to Ffarquhar Quarry. On your way, you are to stop at Dryaw station"

Percy was puzzled. Trains bound for the Quarry usually don't stop there. "Why?"

"I have decided that Cullen shall be given a tour of Sodor, so he will ride along with you until Dryaw, Harold will be waiting and he will show him all the sights that Sodor has to offer"

Cullen could hardly believe it. He had only met the man yesterday and already he was willing to pay for a trip across the entire island. How could he refuse such an offer?

Percy was excited. "Oh thank you sir!" he said.

Cullen grinned "Sir that would be great"

All the other engines except Edward were annoyed that they weren't picked. James decided to voice his opinion on the matter.

"How come Percy gets to take him? He's just a tank engine"

Percy was irritated. "What's wrong with that? At least I don't need bootlaces to pull a train"

The moment Percy mentioned the bootlace incident, James became furious.

"At least I don't look like a green caterpillar with red strips!"

The two engines began to argue at one another like children. They kept arguing until…

"SILENCE!" Boomed a stern voice.

Both engines shut up instantly. They looked to see the Fat Controller looking at them, and he was not happy.

"James and Percy, I will not tolerate this kind of behavior on my railway" He said sternly.

"He started it" Percy said to himself.

The Fat Controller face palmed.

"James, hurry and collect your coaches. We can't keep the passengers waiting."

James grumbled as he steamed off the turntable and left the yard.

After James left, he checked his watch.

"Oh heavens! Look at the time. I must be off now, I need to get back to my office"

Sir Topham Hatt hurried and soon enough, he left the yard.

"_James acts like such a jerk to Percy"_ Cullen thought to himself as he climbed into Percy's cab. Percy then left Tidmouth Sheds to go collect his trucks from Knapford.

_Later_

Percy was in a much better mood as he approached Dryaw Station. Right next to the station was a small airfield with a small hanger. Sitting on the tarmac was Harold, ready to go.

Harold and Percy said their hellos as the latter stopped at the platform. Ever since their race, they had become great friends and they helped each other out if the other needed it. Percy stopped to let Cullen off and then continued on his way to Ffarquhar.

He made his way over to Harold, whose arms were spinning slowly, ready to get up in the air.

"Excuse me, are you Cullen?" Asked the helicopter.

"Yes I am, and you must be Harold"

"Quite right lad, I was told to show you the whole Island. We need to be back here before dark so the sooner we start, the better!"

"Right you are" Cullen replied as he climbed aboard.

Soon enough they were high in the sky, looking at such things as lush forests to little towns.

Cullen saw everything on the Island from the sky. He saw the bridge known as the Viaduct which was impressively high. He also saw the three other railways on Sodor, the Skarloey Railway, Culdee Fell Railway, and the Arlesdale Railway. Throughout the entire ride, the view was spectacular.

It was late when he was back at Dryaw Airfield. After landing, Cullen stretched and yawned, he was exhausted.

"Thanks for the tour Harold!"

"Anytime. Come again soon!" And he took off into the afternoon sky.

Cullen made his way to the station. He rode back to Tidmouth behind Thomas and when he finally returned to the Hotel, he was exhausted.

He wanted to sleep, but his mind kept thinking of all the things that had happened during the day.


End file.
